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Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories: ‘Nothing is immune’: Israel’s destruction of landmark buildings in Gaza

9 December 2014, Index number: MDE 15/0029/2014

In the last four days of Operation Protective Edge, the Israeli army launched four attacks that totally destroyed multistorey landmark buildings in Gaza. While no one was killed, the attacks are of great significance because they are examples of what appears to have been deliberate destruction and targeting of civilian buildings and property on a large scale, carried out without military necessity. This briefing focuses exclusively on these attacks and considers whether they were militarily justified. It concludes that the destruction was extensive and appeared to have been wanton and not justified by military necessity.